Hell could be defined as the place or state of punishment of the wicked after death; the abode of evil and condemned spirits; Gehenna or Tartarus. It is any place or state of torment or misery. It is surely a very frightening place just like what is being described here in today's 1st reading. It is definitely somewhere that we all don't want to end up in. No one in his or her right mind would like to be in that kind of place. We all fear to be thrown into hell and it would be best that we develop the holy fear of the Lord if we want to be spared from it. Many people misunderstand the fear of the Lord. Recalling the verse in Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10, the fear of the Lord is called the beginning or foundation of wisdom. In Proverbs 15:33, the fear of the Lord is described as the "discipline" or "instruction" of wisdom. They think that the fear of the Lord is something that is good to have when you first start out as a Christian, but that you should grow beyond it. That is not the case; rather, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because it is one of the foundations of our religious life. It is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. When we are infused with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit the way that Christ Himself would. It confirms the virtue of hope. We often think of hope and fear as mutually exclusive, but the fear of the Lord is the desire not to offend Him, and the certainty that He will give us the grace necessary to keep from doing so. It is that certainty that gives us hope. The fear of the Lord is like the respect we have for our parents. We do not wish to offend them, but we also do not live in fear of them, in the sense of being frightened. In other words, it is not a fear of punishment, but a desire not to offend God that parallels our desire not to offend our parents. This gift "fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread, above all things, to offend Him. It is always for our own good to have a holy fear in the Lord. It is not the same as fear in the sense that we are just compelled to do something solely because of fear but rather with love and respect. Amen. Hallelujah!
Malachi 3:19-20a
19 Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. 20 But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.
We, Catholics believe that God gave human beings reason although it sometimes gets darkened by sin but still human reason can figure out some things. One of the things that human beings figure out without God having to reveal it, is that human beings need to meet 4 qualities to be deemed a human being. The philosopher, before even Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, had this figured out. We find it mentioned in Wisdom 8:7, the 4 virtues or qualities are also called the hinge virtues because it is where all the other virtues or qualities of good people would hinge. The word cardinal means hinge. The Cardinals who surround the Pope are the doorway to the Pope. They are also the ones whom he rely the most for advice. Everything else depends on the cardinal virtues. (Prudence or wisdom, justice, temperance and courage or fortitude) We can also find all the cardinal virtues, like justice which means giving each person his or her due in the Book of Proverbs, Sirach, Ecclesiastes and all the wisdom literature in scriptures. We all know even as kids instinctively how important justice is. The first thing that a kid cries out as soon as he learns how to talk if he has brothers and sisters is “Not fair, he got more than I did” or “You ask me to do more than what that person is doing.” This is because we have instinctively or natively offensive justice. Each person has rights and ought to get their due. There’s also another part of justice that we forget, that is, we have obligations and duties to everyone. A person who is unjust is not a good person. To be just, we need to control our passions. Temperance is a virtue that balances and controls our passions. It is like controlling our desire for that last piece of cake if we know that it belongs to our sister. In order to be just, we’ve got to control our appetites. Make our appetites come into line with justice, truth and goodness. We’ve got to have that balance in our life in order to be a good and effective person. Temperance makes this happen. We also have to be courageous. If we are not courageous then every time a difficulty arises we’re going to shrink back. If there’s any danger involved in doing the right, just and wise thing then we’re just going to crack out and find an excuse because we’re afraid. Courage or fortitude helps us to master fear and not let fear keep us from doing what’s right. In the same way that we want justice to prevail always since it is very frustrating when we encounter situations that are very unjust. The gospel yesterday was about the dishonest judge although wicked and evil was able to render a just decision to the persistent widow. We are reminded in today's psalm that we can all be assured of the truth that the Lord rules the earth and He rules with justice there is no doubt. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9
R: The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
5 Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD. (R) 7 Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; 8 let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy. (R) 9 Before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to rule the earth; he will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.
Faith, hope and charity make it possible for us to really have wisdom, justice, temperance and courage. Without faith, hope and charity in this life, no one can really become truly wise.
All throughout human history we see people who exercise these gifts. They may not be Christians, deeply spiritual people, or in a state of grace and can exercise some of these potentials here and there. But ultimately original sin means we are going to sin seriously and mess up. We need God’s grace for those 4 great virtues to be perfected. Faith, hope and charity are supernatural. These are things that human beings would never know that they need or could have without God giving them supernaturally that’s why they are called the theological virtues. We only know about them through divine revelation and we couldn’t know about them by reason. We can only have them through God’s grace. The theological virtues, faith, hope and charity are the crown of the first 4 cardinal virtues that transform and make them possible. God doesn’t want us just to be whole human beings and restore us to what Adam & Eve were when they blew it in the Garden. God wants us to be more than that. He wants to elevate our human nature and divinize it. He wants us to share in His own Divine nature. Charity is all about loving with God’s love. Loving as the 3 persons of the Holy Trinity love each other and sharing in that goes way beyond human nature. This is an incredible thing and call. It was only possible because God became man and we can share in his virtue. This is what the real Catholic life is all about. It’s not just about making it or going to heaven by the skin of your teeth after struggling. It’s about growing in holiness and becoming like Jesus all throughout our life, a champion not without struggles. As a matter of fact without the struggles we can never become a champion. But with victory and excellence not with hopelessness, despair and frustration. This is God’s desire for us which is a fantastic calling. The power to do this is given to us. It is by knowing the virtues and the habits of champions like St. Paul and the Thessalonians. Amen. Halleujah!
2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
7 Brothers and Sisters: You know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, 8 nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. 9 Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. 10 In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat...
The gospel today is mostly about the end times or Armageddon. I heard from the priest's homily today that there are just 3 things we need to do instead of being bothered by these end of the world predictions. They are: 1. Do no harm to others. 2. Do good to others. 3. Spread the word of God. It may not be just as simple as 1,2 and 3 but it is definitely worth doing for it can surely secure our lives on that final day. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:5-19
...You will be hated by all because of my name, 18 but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. 19 By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
LOCK IT IN
I was suddenly reminded of Fr. Gerry in his homily just 2 days ago on how he used to celebrate mass 6-7 times each day. But now that he's getting older, he noticed that after 4-5 masses he is dead tired and could not do more. Priests have totally dedicated their lives in the service of God and have given up so much for this. We all know that priesthood is not an easy vocation and not everybody could answer to this call. in fact, there is a shortage of priests all over the world. Let us pray that more men would respond to committing to be a priest. We should all be thankful to God for the gift of priests. It is just right and fitting that we extend whatever support we can give to them and respond to this call in today's 1ts reading. Amen. Hallelujah!
3 John 5-8
...For they have set out for the sake of the Name and are accepting nothing from the pagans. 8 Therefore, we ought to support such persons, so that we may be co-workers in the truth.
As human beings we all long to be loved and be in a relationship especially if we are in that stage of life as in Erikson's stages of psychosocial development which is love. The Intimacy vs. Isolation conflict is emphasized in this stage and around the ages of 20 to 34. It is important that we enter into a relationship forming intimate, reciprocal relationships (e.g. through close friendships or marriage) and willingly make the sacrifices and compromises that such relationships require. Though, we are also aware of rejections such as being turned down or our partners breaking up with us. We are familiar with pain, and to some of us, rejection is painful; our egos cannot bear the pain. We should realize all the more the importance of establishing an intimate relationship for that matter with God always at the center. If we allow God to take an active part in our life especially in our relationships then He will surely do. He will not intrude or trespass but if we will gladly invite and welcome Him then He will surely come to be with us. Just imagine having a good friend at our side ready to support and help us at all times. We will never be disappointed if we stick to God and all the things He stands for. In fact we will find that God can be our constant companion and friend, the greatest one we could ever get. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R: Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
...who greatly delights in his commands. 2 His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. (R) 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house; his generosity shall endure forever. 4 Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. (R) 5 Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; 6 he shall never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance
We can be assured that our God is not anything like this dishonest judge from today's gospel. And yet crooked and wicked as he is, he was still able to render a just decision for the widow. Come to think of this bible passage especially the questions that go with it. Several times in our lives we are confronted with so many hard to deal with questions that we simply can't lock it in. It is just like this game show when contestants find it very difficult to answer when the host asks them this question, "Deal or No deal?" They are full of doubt and uncertainty because they can never be sure if they answered right unless the case is opened. But do we doubt God who is all good and perfect not to do more than this judge in the gospel and deal fairly with us? Have we answered the question and are we so sure that we could lock it in? We better be. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 18:1-8
...Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
3 John 5-8
...For they have set out for the sake of the Name and are accepting nothing from the pagans. 8 Therefore, we ought to support such persons, so that we may be co-workers in the truth.
As human beings we all long to be loved and be in a relationship especially if we are in that stage of life as in Erikson's stages of psychosocial development which is love. The Intimacy vs. Isolation conflict is emphasized in this stage and around the ages of 20 to 34. It is important that we enter into a relationship forming intimate, reciprocal relationships (e.g. through close friendships or marriage) and willingly make the sacrifices and compromises that such relationships require. Though, we are also aware of rejections such as being turned down or our partners breaking up with us. We are familiar with pain, and to some of us, rejection is painful; our egos cannot bear the pain. We should realize all the more the importance of establishing an intimate relationship for that matter with God always at the center. If we allow God to take an active part in our life especially in our relationships then He will surely do. He will not intrude or trespass but if we will gladly invite and welcome Him then He will surely come to be with us. Just imagine having a good friend at our side ready to support and help us at all times. We will never be disappointed if we stick to God and all the things He stands for. In fact we will find that God can be our constant companion and friend, the greatest one we could ever get. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R: Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
...who greatly delights in his commands. 2 His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. (R) 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house; his generosity shall endure forever. 4 Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. (R) 5 Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; 6 he shall never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance
We can be assured that our God is not anything like this dishonest judge from today's gospel. And yet crooked and wicked as he is, he was still able to render a just decision for the widow. Come to think of this bible passage especially the questions that go with it. Several times in our lives we are confronted with so many hard to deal with questions that we simply can't lock it in. It is just like this game show when contestants find it very difficult to answer when the host asks them this question, "Deal or No deal?" They are full of doubt and uncertainty because they can never be sure if they answered right unless the case is opened. But do we doubt God who is all good and perfect not to do more than this judge in the gospel and deal fairly with us? Have we answered the question and are we so sure that we could lock it in? We better be. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 18:1-8
...Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Friday, November 12, 2010
IT ISN'T JUST LUCK
Isn't this just my luck, we may ask ourselves. No it isn't. The truth is, we have to work our way up to success if we really want to make it happen. Or we may be up there already but if we don't do anything to keep it that way then we are bound to lose everything. We may have heard people say that some people are really lucky and they just get everything they want so easily. Well, they probably could have but if we look very closely then we'll find out that it isn't really the way it is. The same thing is true if we have been blessed with so much by the Lord. If we don't watch ourselves closely and be on guard then we'll find ourselves losing and going down the drain sooner or later. Today's 1st reading is a very wise advice from the gospel of John that we all ought to take if we want that streak of luck as some people would call it and if I may say so, to remain. If we have God then we have everything, including blessing and luck or whatever we want to call it. Amen. Hallelujah!
2 John 4-9
... Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense. 9 Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.
Allow me to use the word "luck" or "swerte" in Tagalog in lieu of any other more appropriate word like blessed or pinagpala in Tagalog since I have always been hearing this word being used very often by some people in reference to certain situations within the broad context of this word. I just couldn't help but share it, first and foremost due to some personal circumstances. If the word luck may have been associated with whatever negative meaning then consider it excluded from here and out of context for the mean time. Let's just say we would like to broaden the scope of our vocabulary. This is to further drive the point or message in today's psalm and is actually the catch here. This is to come up with an induction that following the law of the Lord is just as synonymous to being blessed, lucky, swerte or pinagpala or any other word that we could closely associate with this. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18
R: Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. (R) 2 Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart. (R) 10 With all my heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commands. (R) 11 Within my heart I treasure your promise, that I may not sin against you. (R) 17 Be good to your servant, that I may live and keep your words. (R) 18 Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of your law.
Then again we may ask ourselves after reading these passages from today's gospel, isn't it just the luck that one will be taken, the other left. No, it isn't. Like what Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed." Luck in this case won't bring us anywhere we would like to be on that final day. We have to be perfectly aware of this and not leave any of these things to chance nor should we take it for granted for what’s at stake here is our final destiny and salvation. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:26-37
I tell you, on that night, there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35 And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.”
2 John 4-9
... Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense. 9 Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.
Allow me to use the word "luck" or "swerte" in Tagalog in lieu of any other more appropriate word like blessed or pinagpala in Tagalog since I have always been hearing this word being used very often by some people in reference to certain situations within the broad context of this word. I just couldn't help but share it, first and foremost due to some personal circumstances. If the word luck may have been associated with whatever negative meaning then consider it excluded from here and out of context for the mean time. Let's just say we would like to broaden the scope of our vocabulary. This is to further drive the point or message in today's psalm and is actually the catch here. This is to come up with an induction that following the law of the Lord is just as synonymous to being blessed, lucky, swerte or pinagpala or any other word that we could closely associate with this. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18
R: Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. (R) 2 Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart. (R) 10 With all my heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commands. (R) 11 Within my heart I treasure your promise, that I may not sin against you. (R) 17 Be good to your servant, that I may live and keep your words. (R) 18 Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of your law.
Then again we may ask ourselves after reading these passages from today's gospel, isn't it just the luck that one will be taken, the other left. No, it isn't. Like what Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed." Luck in this case won't bring us anywhere we would like to be on that final day. We have to be perfectly aware of this and not leave any of these things to chance nor should we take it for granted for what’s at stake here is our final destiny and salvation. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:26-37
I tell you, on that night, there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35 And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.”
Thursday, November 11, 2010
THE PARTY
Two days ago my son asked me to help him ask permission from his father to attend 2 parties in a row, which is this coming Friday and Saturday. Knowing his father, I did the best that I could so that I could obtain his approval. In fact my friend Bernadeth and I even agreed in prayer during our Divine Mercy and Rosary hour yesterday to lift this particular intention. I guess, I am just 50% successful as far as obtaining permission is concerned because he was not allowed to go to both parties but just one. I would like to take this opportunity to honor my son for his obedience and cool in the face of these circumstances because he did not insist anymore in what he wants but calmly accepted his father's decision. This is considering the fact that he tried to comply with the standing rule when it comes to partying to ask ahead of time which he did. Nowadays, most young people are no longer amenable to this kind of set up especially if they are 18 years old and older. They no longer consider asking for their parents' consent when it comes to this kind of thing. Some would even think of sneaking out and deal with it later or never. I am glad that my son still does and maintains the honor and respect due to us as his parents. This even became more significant for me as I was greeted by this passage from the 1st reading today. I'm sure this time that it was not just 50% success rate but 100%. Amen. Hallelujah!
Philemon 7-20
...but I did not want to do anything without your consent...
God's help is all the help we need, nothing more and nothing less. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
The Lord secures justice for the oppressed, gives good to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. (R) 8 The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those that were bowed down; the LORD loves the just. 9 The LORD protects strangers. (R) The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
Recently, I have been having some thoughts about this phrase, "the kingdom of God is theirs" and now this, today's gospel tells us, "the kingdom of God is among you." This is in relation too to the first beatitude and the sharing I read in Didache about being a spiritual beggar. Beggars can't be choosers and we maintain this attitude with the hope that the One who gives is generous. It is the only beatitude stated in the present tense unlike the others which are all in the future tense. It makes perfect sense especially now as I read this passage from the gospel. Jesus urges us to get a hold of it right now for it is already among us. We've got to consciously live it every day and in whatever circumstance or situation we may be, whatever, whoever, whenever, wherever. Let's not wait for any further sign or cue. As it is written it can not be observed, we've got to act on it on our own. There's no need to wait for any stimulus or catalyst. It's got to be really coming from us to claim for ourselves this truth that is slowly taking on a downward spiral and in danger of being cast into oblivion especially now that the world today is influenced so much by things that contradict this truth or even deny its presence. It is sad that people nowadays live as if there is no God or worse they believe in God but it doesn't manifest or show in how they live. Let us not be amiss on this and fail to capture this most important truth that can impact not just a lifetime but eternity. We have become so preoccupied, lured by what the world offers and full of other things to even give room to what should really come first and not be the spiritual beggar that we should be before the Lord. Let us make it clear, change this trend and take actions to make it reign in our lives dominantly for the power is already within us. We've got to empty ourselves, get rid of things that snatch away our focus on God so as not to come to a point where we end up in our worst state before we realize this truth. We can not be partying now and then regretting it later. Sometimes we hear people say, things happen for a reason but sometimes too things could not have happened the way it did if we had known the reason. God is the reason and He should always be our reason. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:20-25
...Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, 21 and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Philemon 7-20
...but I did not want to do anything without your consent...
God's help is all the help we need, nothing more and nothing less. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
The Lord secures justice for the oppressed, gives good to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. (R) 8 The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those that were bowed down; the LORD loves the just. 9 The LORD protects strangers. (R) The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
Recently, I have been having some thoughts about this phrase, "the kingdom of God is theirs" and now this, today's gospel tells us, "the kingdom of God is among you." This is in relation too to the first beatitude and the sharing I read in Didache about being a spiritual beggar. Beggars can't be choosers and we maintain this attitude with the hope that the One who gives is generous. It is the only beatitude stated in the present tense unlike the others which are all in the future tense. It makes perfect sense especially now as I read this passage from the gospel. Jesus urges us to get a hold of it right now for it is already among us. We've got to consciously live it every day and in whatever circumstance or situation we may be, whatever, whoever, whenever, wherever. Let's not wait for any further sign or cue. As it is written it can not be observed, we've got to act on it on our own. There's no need to wait for any stimulus or catalyst. It's got to be really coming from us to claim for ourselves this truth that is slowly taking on a downward spiral and in danger of being cast into oblivion especially now that the world today is influenced so much by things that contradict this truth or even deny its presence. It is sad that people nowadays live as if there is no God or worse they believe in God but it doesn't manifest or show in how they live. Let us not be amiss on this and fail to capture this most important truth that can impact not just a lifetime but eternity. We have become so preoccupied, lured by what the world offers and full of other things to even give room to what should really come first and not be the spiritual beggar that we should be before the Lord. Let us make it clear, change this trend and take actions to make it reign in our lives dominantly for the power is already within us. We've got to empty ourselves, get rid of things that snatch away our focus on God so as not to come to a point where we end up in our worst state before we realize this truth. We can not be partying now and then regretting it later. Sometimes we hear people say, things happen for a reason but sometimes too things could not have happened the way it did if we had known the reason. God is the reason and He should always be our reason. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:20-25
...Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, 21 and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
STATISTICAL SHIFT
All of a sudden I had the urge to sing the song, "Let the Love Begin" which has become very popular in the Philippines. In fact it was made into a romantic film which became a Valentine's movie presentation. Maybe this is because today's 1st reading is something like that. God is offering us love but it is up to us to let it begin. As the lyrics of the song goes, "Now let the love begin, let the light come shining in, who knows where the road will lead us now, look at what we’ve found make this moment turn our hearts around it may never come again let it in, let the love begin." We've got to let God in, though we may never really know where it will lead us, one thing is sure, it will turn our hearts around. We will never be the same again as in today's 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!
Titus 3:1-7
...For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, 5 not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit...
Well, actually the lyrics may not be totally agreeable in all things most especially upon reading the psalm today. As far as the song, "Let the love begin" is concerned it says, there is one thing we don't know, and that is where the road of love will lead us. Psalm 23 assures us otherwise because it tells us exactly what kind of road we are heading to if we accept the love of the Good Shepherd. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 23:1b-3a, 3bc-4, 5, 6
R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
...In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.
There is no doubt that Jesus is able to do all things even the most impossible ones. The problem lies not in the part of Jesus to do what is supposed to be done it is in our part that we fail. Sometimes we go through life complaining and moaning about our problems without realizing that we have a lot more to be thankful to God for. Today's gospel is a statistical illustration of it since only 1/10 lepers came back to God and recognized what He has done. It's time we realize which part of that statistic do we belong? Or better yet, to try to make a statistical shift from that number to 10/10 as we all go to God and give Him thanks. Technically speaking if we are to refer to this statistical formula we will find it to be known as shift invariance. In other words, if a statistic, S is shift-invariant, then addition of an arbitrary value, a, positive or negative, to all elements of the sample results in the increase/decrease of S by the same amount a. We can take it as something that is subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision. It is in our hands and up to us, like what I’ve said earlier pertaining to the song, “Let the love begin” Let us do our part in making a difference for in the end it will all return to us more than a hundredfold. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:11-19
11 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he travelled through Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him 13 and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” 14 And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; 16 and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? 18 Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 19 Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
Titus 3:1-7
...For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, 5 not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit...
Well, actually the lyrics may not be totally agreeable in all things most especially upon reading the psalm today. As far as the song, "Let the love begin" is concerned it says, there is one thing we don't know, and that is where the road of love will lead us. Psalm 23 assures us otherwise because it tells us exactly what kind of road we are heading to if we accept the love of the Good Shepherd. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 23:1b-3a, 3bc-4, 5, 6
R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
...In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.
There is no doubt that Jesus is able to do all things even the most impossible ones. The problem lies not in the part of Jesus to do what is supposed to be done it is in our part that we fail. Sometimes we go through life complaining and moaning about our problems without realizing that we have a lot more to be thankful to God for. Today's gospel is a statistical illustration of it since only 1/10 lepers came back to God and recognized what He has done. It's time we realize which part of that statistic do we belong? Or better yet, to try to make a statistical shift from that number to 10/10 as we all go to God and give Him thanks. Technically speaking if we are to refer to this statistical formula we will find it to be known as shift invariance. In other words, if a statistic, S is shift-invariant, then addition of an arbitrary value, a, positive or negative, to all elements of the sample results in the increase/decrease of S by the same amount a. We can take it as something that is subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision. It is in our hands and up to us, like what I’ve said earlier pertaining to the song, “Let the love begin” Let us do our part in making a difference for in the end it will all return to us more than a hundredfold. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:11-19
11 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he travelled through Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him 13 and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” 14 And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; 16 and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? 18 Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 19 Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
CLEAN UP
I remember the time when it was orange and lemon season when we used to harvest bags of these fruits from the backyard of Mr. and Mrs. Lowry. They are so generous to the point of telling us to just get as much as we like. They have very productive fruit bearing trees and it seemed like it never ran out of fruits to harvest. We would fill up big garbage bags and harvest as much as 3-4 bags. Just imagine how many fruits their tress bear. It is so amazing that even after we've harvest too much for us to carry, the tree would still look like it didn't give out any. In fact the topmost portion of the tree where the ladder could not reach looked like the fruits would just wait until it rot and fall off. The fruits were too many and heavy that the branches started to bend low and almost reached the ground. It is definitely something and it was like nothing we've ever seen before or something that we often normally see. It resembles what today's 1st reading is telling us since we have become so amazed and blessed of these fruit trees but it still is nothing compared to what the Lord has prepared for us in that heavenly place where we all long to be someday. Amen. Hallelujah!
Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
...Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
We can only imagine but we can never see the real picture of how it is to be in the holy dwelling of the Most High. It is always nice to have something to look forward to most especially because as Christians we believe that we are just passing by and everything around us will all be gone. When this happens we know that we are headed to an eternal place prepared for us by God. Isn’t it wonderful that at this present time we can go on living every day of our life to the full and still be assured that the best is yet to come. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
R: The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.
...Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. (R) 4 [5] There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. 5 [6] God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
We all hope to be with God in that special place we call heaven someday when our time comes. This journey to heaven starts right now with our very selves. It is so much like what the song says, "Heaven is in my heart." and as the scripture says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." We ought to live a holy life in the sight of God and man for we are the temple of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17
9 Brothers and sisters: You are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, 11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
If indeed we are God's temple in other words the house of God, then we have to refer to ourselves as a holy dwelling of God. Let us say we start examining ourselves and find out whether God would be pleased to reside in us or would He be angered at what He would see in us. This is the critical question we all have to answer honestly. Have we turned ourselves into a marketplace like that of the one being spoken of in today's gospel. Have we become so materialistic and commercial that all we ever hold on to and treasure in this life are the things like wealth, power and fame. These are 3 dangerous things that can make a person bad if not handled properly. It's important we put our moral values in check. Let us be aware of the fact that God will not hesitate to drive out all these ungodly residents in His temple. What kind of God's temple are we? We ought to realize that He is God, Most Holy. Just like what we repeatedly say in our Divine Mercy prayer, Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, this is who He is and could not be anything more other than that. If there's anything in us that goes against this holy attributes of God then it's time to do as Jesus did in today's gospel. It's time to clean up though it is not an easy thing to do but we've got to do what we have to do. We've got to make this very clear if we truly want to be with and for God rather than against God. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 2:13-22
He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, 16 and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
...Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
We can only imagine but we can never see the real picture of how it is to be in the holy dwelling of the Most High. It is always nice to have something to look forward to most especially because as Christians we believe that we are just passing by and everything around us will all be gone. When this happens we know that we are headed to an eternal place prepared for us by God. Isn’t it wonderful that at this present time we can go on living every day of our life to the full and still be assured that the best is yet to come. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
R: The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.
...Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. (R) 4 [5] There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. 5 [6] God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
We all hope to be with God in that special place we call heaven someday when our time comes. This journey to heaven starts right now with our very selves. It is so much like what the song says, "Heaven is in my heart." and as the scripture says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." We ought to live a holy life in the sight of God and man for we are the temple of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17
9 Brothers and sisters: You are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, 11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
If indeed we are God's temple in other words the house of God, then we have to refer to ourselves as a holy dwelling of God. Let us say we start examining ourselves and find out whether God would be pleased to reside in us or would He be angered at what He would see in us. This is the critical question we all have to answer honestly. Have we turned ourselves into a marketplace like that of the one being spoken of in today's gospel. Have we become so materialistic and commercial that all we ever hold on to and treasure in this life are the things like wealth, power and fame. These are 3 dangerous things that can make a person bad if not handled properly. It's important we put our moral values in check. Let us be aware of the fact that God will not hesitate to drive out all these ungodly residents in His temple. What kind of God's temple are we? We ought to realize that He is God, Most Holy. Just like what we repeatedly say in our Divine Mercy prayer, Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, this is who He is and could not be anything more other than that. If there's anything in us that goes against this holy attributes of God then it's time to do as Jesus did in today's gospel. It's time to clean up though it is not an easy thing to do but we've got to do what we have to do. We've got to make this very clear if we truly want to be with and for God rather than against God. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 2:13-22
He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, 16 and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
Monday, November 8, 2010
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT
There are times in our life when we just have to leave someone behind to be on their own for the greater good. Paul in his letter to Titus did just that. We just got to do what has to be done whether it would seem to look like abandonment but in the end it would turn things out for the better. We have people in our lives that we truly care and love and only wish for the best things for them. Although it hurts to leave them and be apart, some things are just better off this way. It is definitely a case to case basis but it can not be denied that it really works if done the right way. Titus whom Paul considered his beloved son in the faith was given a task that he has to accomplish by himself without the presence of Paul. It is good to have people around us to give us support but we can not always depend on other people to do things for us, there has got to be a time when we should stand up on our own two feet, develop the backbone, be self reliant and take responsibility. We should be able to make decisions, stand by them, not point any fingers when things seem to go wrong and be able to really claim them as our own. If we do, we will see that things are brought to light and better understanding as they eventually fall into perfect place. As in Romans 8:28, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose." We have to prove ourselves worthy of the call. It is by doing this that we will develop character that will enhance our qualities to become a better person and Christian that our Lord Jesus Christ would surely be proud of. Amen. Hallelujah!
Titus 1:1-9
...to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. 5 For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done...
We should always long to see the face of God at all times in every person, event and circumstance in our lives. Let us always hold on to this image so that someday when we finally come face to face with God we will receive a blessing and reward for He will surely bring about what He said He would do. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R: Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
...He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior.
There's this funny story about sin and temptation that I heard of a long time ago. It was about a person who went to confession, he said that he is tormented by impure thoughts and is having a hard time getting over it. The priest said that it is not yet a sin and still a temptation if he has not entertained them. The man therefore concluded that he has not sinned. According to him he did not entertain it rather it entertained him. Sometimes we can make up our own justification and rationale and go around these things. Well, that’s entertainment. Jesus knows that as sure as the sun shines every morning are the temptations that come to us every day. Today's gospel is a stern warning, "Be on your guard." We should truly be, because the enemy is cunning and deceiving that we might end up better off tying a millstone around our necks and thrown into the sea. What an exaggeration just to get this important message across, "Thou shall not entertain temptations and fall into sin." Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:1-6
1 Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Be on your guard!
Titus 1:1-9
...to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. 5 For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done...
We should always long to see the face of God at all times in every person, event and circumstance in our lives. Let us always hold on to this image so that someday when we finally come face to face with God we will receive a blessing and reward for He will surely bring about what He said He would do. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R: Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
...He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior.
There's this funny story about sin and temptation that I heard of a long time ago. It was about a person who went to confession, he said that he is tormented by impure thoughts and is having a hard time getting over it. The priest said that it is not yet a sin and still a temptation if he has not entertained them. The man therefore concluded that he has not sinned. According to him he did not entertain it rather it entertained him. Sometimes we can make up our own justification and rationale and go around these things. Well, that’s entertainment. Jesus knows that as sure as the sun shines every morning are the temptations that come to us every day. Today's gospel is a stern warning, "Be on your guard." We should truly be, because the enemy is cunning and deceiving that we might end up better off tying a millstone around our necks and thrown into the sea. What an exaggeration just to get this important message across, "Thou shall not entertain temptations and fall into sin." Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:1-6
1 Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Be on your guard!
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